work in progress

I Remember You Episode 7 Recap

I thought this episode was not bad – it has a mix of rom-com, mystery and thriller in it. I only just found out that this drama has dismal ratings in Korea. Why??

“So now, how do I look from your perspective?”

Ji Ahn hesitates and fumbles over her words, but just as Hyun points out, she’s unable to say straight away that he doesn’t look like a Lee Joon Young.

Back in the station, the detectives similarly narrow in to Lee Jin Woo as the suspect, based on a CCTV recording and phone records. Ji Ahn sends the photo of Lee Jin Woo and Lee Jeong Ha to the station and they split ways.

Ji Ahn tries to explain herself to Hyun, but Hyun tells her not to read his mind and care about what he thinks.

He gets a call from Lawyer who informs him that Jeong Ha is in a bad condition because he went into shock. Hyun stops at the roadside and leans close to Ji Ahn, only to unbuckle her seatbelt and leaves her behind haha.

At the hospital, Hyun places the book underneath Jeong Ha’s pillow and pats his head.

He tells Jeong Ha that he has many questions to ask, so he must recover quickly.

And now, he will catch Lee Jin Woo, the guy whom Jeong Ha has been protecting. Jeong Ha’s eyes widen. Lawyer scrutinises the scene and later asks Hyun about the relationship between him and Jeong Ha.

Hyun replies that Jeong Ha’s just a friend whom he has taken a liking to, akin to a random flower one sees and likes while hiking.

Joon Ho tells Ji Ahn that because of the weapon used, the culprit would have suffered a physical cut from the blade resistance. Ji Ahn guesses correctly that the wound will be in between the thumb and the index finger. At the same time, we see that Lee Jin Woo has such a wound. Ji Ahn meets up with Kang and Myung Woo in front of Lee Jin Woo’s house. Myung Woo is very tickled to realise that Hyun isn’t around because he has this theory that Hyun is scared of running into the culprits.

Kang is reluctant to run after Lee Jin Woo because he has just taken off his leg brace (LOL) but he follows after the other two detectives and gives chase.

In the end, Ji Ahn manages to twist the knife out of Lee Jin Woo’s hand, although she suffers a cut to her mouth.

Lee Jin Woo remains brazen in the station and Hyun turns up to give Kang a suggestion – lower the air-con temperature because cold temperatures make one nervous and anxious during an interrogation.

Although seemingly unwilling to listen to Hyun, Kang starts looking for the remote control once Hyun leaves the room haha.

Ji Ahn almost walks right into Hyun and he notices the cut on her mouth, “It doesn’t look like it will scar. What a relief.” Ji Ahn protests that her face is pretty enough so it doesn’t matter if she has a few scars but Hyun scoffs and walks away. He turns around and tells Ji Ahn that she’s needed at Jin Woo’s house. She’s pleased but her ego is slight deflated when he tells her that he actually wanted Myung Woo but he’s not around. Turns out Hyun simply wants someone to help him crack the password to Jin Woo’s computer, “Just think like ‘I am 18 years old who is a violent and high schooler.’ Just think at that level, as you always do. Violently.” Haha, this is why he said Myung Woo was a better choice.

Just from looking at Jin Woo’s room, Hyun gathers that this guy has anger management issues and hoards his privacy, something which cannot be attributed simply to puberty. He longs for his father and has a difficult relationship with his mother. Right? Hyun turns to face Jin Woo’s mother. The mum is stunned to hear that her son has committed a murder and upon questioned, she shows Hyun newspaper articles about Jin Woo’s birth father. It’s the same articles which Jeong Ha had in his room, the ones with his father’s (Lee Hyeon Cheol) photos. However, the mum tells Hyun that that man in the article was the one who killed Jin Woo’s father.

Ji Ahn manages to crack the password, and Hyun logs into Jin Woo’s inbox to find that he has been exchanging emails with Lee Hyeon Cheol. Ji Ahn is taken aback that such a misunderstanding could have happened and Hyun explains that it’s because any records of Jin Woo’s biological father disappeared after he got adopted by his step father.

Lawyer chats with Jeong Ha about the wolf story but Jeong Ha gets sleepy. Lawyer explains with an air of concern that it’s because he’s running a high fever, but when Jeong Ha closes his eyes, he asks coldly, “Which part of the story do you like?”

Myung Woo dances towards Hyun when the couple appears at the station, “Showing up only after we caught the culprit? Your liver is the size of a grain. David…Da-da~”

Hyun gives him a look of disgust hahaha.

Hyun runs the interrogation alone, starting with telling JinWoo about Lee Hyeon Cheol’s previous rape and assault records. He calls Heyon Cheol’s deeds too dirty and filthy, causing Jin Woo to bang the table angrily, “Don’t talk recklessly. What do you know about my father?” Hyun brings up how the victim was the brave witness whose testimony allowed Hyeon Cheol to be placed behind bars. Jin Woo retorts that what he has done is fair repayment for the person who took his father away.

Hyun is pleased, “Did you know that you just confessed?” The rest of the detectives are confused as to why Jin Woo is calling Hyeon Cheol his father, and Ji Ahn explains – Hyeon Cheol killed Jin Woo’s father, and Jeong Ha found out about it. That’s why he probably intentionally approached Jin Woo and is devoted to him. That is also why Jin Woo opened up his heart to Jeong Ha. The password to his computer is actually ‘LeeJeongHa’. Jin Woo found the articles which his mum had kept hidden, deduced wrongly that Hyeon Cheol was his father and thus visited him in the prison.

Jin Woo shouts at Hyun, “If Dad was here, my life wouldn’t be twisted like this. I wouldn’t be beaten up by my bastard-like step father! If only Dad was here, I wouldn’t be twisted like this!” Yep, way to blame your deeds on someone else.

Hyun shows him the article and tells him that there’s always two guys in these articles – the murderer and the victim. Who does he think is his father? Is he sure that Hyeon Cheol is his dad? Jin Woo starts to doubt himself and Hyun lands the blow, “He’s not your dad but the person who killed your dad.”

Jin Woo denies it, but Hyun points out that since he looks just like his dad, Hyeon Cheol who would initially be bewildered that this guy was calling him father would recognise him and thus use him.

In any case, Jin Woo is also using Hyeon Cheol, “To justify your feelings of complaints, desire for violence and defiance. Because your father is a murderer, and because you are the son of the a murderer.” Jin Woo breaks down completely.

Lawyer reads the wolf story – an Indian chief tells his grandson that there are two wolves inside us. One wolf is filled with jealousy, inferiority, evilness basically and the other brings with him peace, love, hope and beliefs. These two wolves are always battling with each other. Grandpa, which wolf wins then? “The one you are feeding food to.”

He turns around because he senses that the couple has arrived. He informs them that Jeong Ha’s condition is bad because his infection has spread throughout his body and his fever isn’t going down.

Ji Ahn notices Hyun’s sad face and tries to get Lawyer to go out of the room with her hahaha.

Lawyer is very curious about the relationship between the two guys. Although Ji Ahn guesses correctly that it’s because Hyun understands how it feels to constantly doubt himself, she refuses to tell the Lawyer.

Jeong Ha tells Hyun that he’s afraid to be like his dad. He tried everyday, and then he tried again, and again. Hyun smiles and says gently, “Right.”

Jeong Ha smiles at him, and then closes his eyes.

Hyun inhales in sadness, and touches his hands.

Ji Ahn is worried about Hyun and most particularly, their conversation the other day. She tries to justify herself to her aunt by explaining that it’s her suspicion of Hyun is reasonable. Her aunt tells her that one always needs a subject to hate in order to survive haha, just like how when they transport squid, they will put in a few squid-eating fish with the squid. The squid will keep moving because they want to survive. Ji Ahn realises she’s the squid and Hyun is the fish haha.

She later meets with Hyun and tells him, “You are rude, weird, annoying and full of brattiness. But I don’t think you are a monster. I don’t think you are the same as Lee Joon Young either.”

She looks awkwardly to a side as she tells him that he seems to be a decent person after she gets to see and know him up close.

He steps closer and turns her towards him, “Look at me while talking.” “….Seeing you up close…you are weird, but not that weird. You’re rude but not that rude. And I don’t think that you are a monster, so don’t think that way about yourself. If you do think that way, then you’re wrong.”

She steps backwards and asks him if he remembers what she always said when they were young. “Let’s be partners.” That’s right.

She puts out her hand and he shakes it, but the two of them seem to be so awkward with this new patching up so Ji Ahn rambles about going to watch a movie.

Hyun smiles in amusement but agrees to watch a movie, just not that day. Ji Ahn rambles more about how she’s busy too and that she would need to check her schedule for the next day.

She scolds herself as she cycles home – why did she act like a girl, just because Hyun is a man, does that make her a woman?

Hyun’s busy that day because he decides to pay a visit to Hyeon Cheol, given that the convict probably hadn’t learnt of the news. Although he initially smiles and provokes the convict by telling him that his son had not opened a single letter of his, his smile later disappears as he leans in, “Do you know how your son lived? Even for natural sexual curiosities that are normal for a teenager, he feared them because of his rapist father. He even had thoughts of worst things that any human being would have. He was very very scared. Because of you! He was scared that he might become a murderer like his father.”

He quotes a verse from the Bible and tells the convict that Jeong Ha died directly from Jin Woo’s hand.

The convict looks at the death certificate and wails, while Hyun watches.

The entire detective team sans Ji Ahn is in the station on a Sunday. They all come up with their own excuses for their lack of a life. Kang asks with a pretence of nonchalance as to Ji Ahn’s whereabouts.

Ji Ahn at that moment has put on a pretty dress and lipstick, and is admiring herself in the mirror. She is almost ready to leave, but decides to change into jeans and ties up her hair. When Hyun arrives at the cinema, she informs him that there’s no movies suitable for him right now since he only watches documentaries or science fiction. “Stalker.”

She tries to find food places but their choices are limited since she knows about his preferences from her stalking days – he leaves the restaurant if the music is too loud, it’s too unhealthy, or if the table next to him is gossiping.

He assures her that she can just go to a place of her preference. She remembers that there’s a place she likes, “The amusement park,” but Hyun immediately rejects it.

She pulls a very reluctant Hyun to an empty amusement park. “What is this? None of the rides are moving. Well…it’s better that they don’t move.”

Ji Ahn reveals that she used to come here with her father. She makes Hyun sit on the viking ship and the carousel, pretending that the rides are working.

I love seeing Hyun’s expressions of reluctance.

Ji Ahn tries to take a selfie, but Hyun relents and takes a photo for her, even agreeing to a selfie with her.

Hyun notices that there’s someone stalking them.

As they leave the park, they see a pair of butterflies (which strangely got fixed in position on screen. Animation error or intentional?)

Hyun pats her on the head, “You also had a hard time. All this time, ignorantly and violently…you grew energetically. You had…a lot of rough times.”

He smiles and touches her shoulder gently.

At night, Hyun watches from his window and reminds himself of a puzzle which he has almost forgotten – the man next door.

At the same time, Joon Ho watches contemplatively out of the window at Hyun. Ji Ahn murmurs, “It’s not even a date but it felt just like a date.”

Hyun calls her and she thinks it’s the sort of miss-you call after a date, but he is asking her to get him a copy of Joon Ho’s handwritten report of Detective Yang.

Hyun thinks of another puzzle which has started that day. In a flashback, we see that he pretended to go to the toilets while in the amusement park but turned around, chased the stalker and lost sight of him. The photos of the couple at the amusement park are sent to the Lawyer, who recalls his conversation with Yang Sueng Hoon. He contacts Yang’s Chinese lawyer.

Hyun wants his art director friend to help him run checks on the men around him (the detectives, the Lawyer etc). He assures his friend that he’s almost done repaying his debt, “Take heart.” Hahaha. He actually wants to skip the check on Myung Woo, which hilariously indicates the Myung Woo’s non-existence of a threat, but tells the art director to just run the check while he’s at it.

When asked for the purpose of the check, he jokes that at least one of them seems like a murderer.

The Lawyer is on the phone with someone and tells the guy to take care of Ji Ahn. He will take care of Hyun.

He leaves his room, and the camera shows us the two-headed man painting with the double-eye sign off. Hyun’s brother?

Ji Ahn buys groceries and purchases vegetables in hope that Hyun will cook for her. She runs into the Lawyer who is also out buying groceries (liar) but leaves quickly after some small talk. Her car’s engine will not start but she doesn’t know how to fix it.

Lawyer turns up creepily behind her and offers to fetch her home since her veggies will spoil by the time the car company workers arrive.

Lawyer helps her take the groceries from his car, and an orange drops from his car but he disregards it and has a cold look.

Ji Ahn insists on carrying her groceries home alone, but after she opens her house door, someone appears behind her. She turns around and her eyes widen in shock.

In the meantime, Hyun receives a card from an anonymous.

-the end-

I have a feeling that this section is going to be really long, since it’s the first time that I’ve done a recap on this drama.

For this episode alone – I really like the way it has turned out for the exploration of the theme Nature vs Nurture. It is a very common theme running through literary classics, including Frankenstein (a minor gripe I have is that people always commonly mistake the monster’s name to be Frankenstein). Is the evil in someone inborn and thus natural, or is it a product of the environment?

It’s always easy to assume that the son of a murderer will be likewise violent and psychopathic. I like it that Jin Woo so willingly submits to the idea of his father being a murderer and even uses it as a justification for his own behaviour. Since my dad is a murderer, it makes sense that I have such feelings of violence too. However, it turns out that his father was murdered, not the murderer. On the other hand, Jeong Ha forms a nice contrast. He’s the son of a murderer, but he fights against the idea everyday. In this episode at least, it stands for the point that one’s behaviour is under one’s control and it should not be blamed on things like genes or other circumstances.

I also appreciate the fact that Hyun is getting closer to Ji Ahn and opening his heart slightly towards her. I love his expressions of disgust and reluctance hahaha, not to mention his smile. This is the first time I’m watching Seo In Guk and Park Bo Gum and I think both actors are doing a great job. However, I’m not really liking the whole conflict at the end of this drama. It seems trivial that any difficulty or physical injury posed to the couple will stem from Director Yang. He’s such a…boring character I would say.

For the entire drama – Belated first impressions post haha. Anyway, on a whole, I really like the back plot threading the events together and I’m excited to find out who Joon Young really is as an adult. Right now, everyone seems to be guessing Joon Ho but I wonder if they will really make it that obvious. On the other hand, it seems like the probability of the lawyer being Min is quite high. He seems to mind the fact that Hyun cannot remember him and that he’s close to Jeong Ha. If done right, the reveal can really make a good ending to this drama!

Some things which puzzle me as I read comments about this drama. Some people complain about the weak female lead which confuses me. Has Ji Ahn been a very weak female lead? Because I’ve seen worse than this. At least, she can catch criminals (she was the one who caught Jin Woo, not the guys) and she carries her own groceries. I wouldn’t really say that she’s a scary stalker because now that we know the backstory, I think it does make sense for her to really stake out the guy whom she thought had a link to Joon Young.

I think this type of genre is one of my favourites – it has a main conflict driving the show so that we know we aren’t just watching a pointless drama where the couple could have gotten together within 2 episodes. It has a couple with good chemistry to give me enough fan-service. Little bits of romance here and there will be sufficient right now. Who else is with me when I think that this couple has really good on-screen chemistry?